Refilling Hydronic System

M. Shedleski

I have removed a section of baseboard fin tube and replaced with a toe-kick convector as part of a kitchen remodel project. how do I refill the system. There are no bleeders on the baseboard units in my rancher.

Steve_51

bleeding

IF IT WAS MY RENOVATION, I WOULD INSTALL A SPIROVENT ON THE RISE AFTER THE FILLING POINT. THIS WOULD TAKE CARE OF PROBABLY 90% OF THE AIR ON FILLING AND THE BALANCE WOULD NOT TAKE THAT LONG TO BLEED.

STEVE

[Deleted User]

HEY STEVE...

Welcome to the Wall. You're probably not aware of this, and it's OK for a couple of posts, but putting all of your words in capitols is the equivilent of YELLING ALL THE TIME. It's hard on this old mans eyes AND ears. This is not meant to chase you away or chastise you. It's a mistake we all made at one time or another. My wife still does. At her work (Denver Water Dept) ALL of their typing on the computer is done in all caps. Drives me crazy...

Anyway, back to the subject.

I hope the person who pulled the fin tube and replaced it with a FCU realizes that the FCU shouldn't be piped in series with a bunch of other baseboard. The pressure and temperature drop through this unit alone will severely stifle the balance of the system.

As for filling and purging, I always tell my students to "think like water". It has to go "in" here, flow in the same direction as it would if it were being moved by the pump, and go "out" here, Only problem is, some of the old guys used to make it difficult to fill and purge the systems so's you'd have to call them back to work on it.

Sometimes they set it up so it had to be purged backwards.

Think like water Grasshopper...

ME

M. Shedleski

Thanks, but...

I had the forethought to plumb in the toe kick convector with half inch line and the run the main 3/4 line strait through with a ball valve in it. I figure this way I can close it slightly if I need more flow through the toe kick convector or leave it wide open and close the half inch valve on the tor kick line to le more water go by it. Is this the right way to balance the system?

Next question. My water is acidic. should I use some kind of boiler chemical in the water when I fill it? What kind and how much?

Thanks for all your help.

hot_rod

You did

well to install an adjustable bypass at the kicker. As long as the valves are accessiable

Get a hold of a ph tester and find out exactly where your system fluid reads. Not a bad idea to run a cleaner through the system if you have been cutting and soldering into it.

Plain tap water systems generally run in the mid to high 7's. It all depends on what you fill it with. Check your incoming water source for ph.

Most hydronic system chemicals, which I personally feel are a wise investment, will run the ph up into the 8 0r 9's. Again it depends on your system components, blend water, condition of cleanliness of the piping, etc.

I've tried a boatload of cleaners and inhibitors over the years. I really like the Rhomar line of cleaners and inhibitors. They were blended exclusivly for todays modern systems that may contain a wide variety of materials on the "wet" side. www.rhomarwater.com. Look for the 9100 cleaner and the 922 closed loop treatment.

Scott at Rhomar has years in the radiant industry and has seen first hand the issues that need to be dealt with. Good luck

hot rod

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